E-Paper
Cong to state: Set up new Joshimath town nearby
Rawat said the whole Joshimath is sinking as ground fissures have appeared across the town. Targeting the state government, Rawat said despite Joshimath showing signs of subsidence earlier, the response of the state was not quick.
The Uttarakhand unit of Congress on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government of “not acting on time” given the “seriousness of matter” while demanding that a new Joshimath town be built nearby and the existing town be protected.
Land subsidence in Joshimath town, which has a population of over 20,000, has resulted in cracks in multiple homes. Congress also demanded that the Joshimath collapse should be declared as a “national disaster”.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat and Congress state president Karan Mahara made these demands after visiting the affected areas in Joshimath and interacting with the local residents.
Rawat said the whole Joshimath is sinking as ground fissures have appeared across the town. Targeting the state government, Rawat said despite Joshimath showing signs of subsidence earlier, the response of the state was not quick.
“The state government did not act on time given the seriousness of the matter. The steps which should have been taken on time were not taken. Even Centre has not responded the way it should have. National and international experts should have been camping here, chief minister (Pushkar Singh Dhami) should have camped here to assure the people that steps are being taken.” he said.
“After talking to the affected people here, including Joshimath Sangarash Samiti, it became clear to us that there is a need to build a new Joshimath town in adjoining areas, including the government land,” he said.
Rawat said that Congress is also demanding that everyone whose houses and commercial establishments have been affected should be compensated on the lines of the Kedarnath tragedy. “With Joshimath witnessing a slump in tourism activity, the affected people should be provided a compensation of ₹ 50,000”, he said.
Elaborating on the religious significance of Joshimath, Rawat said “the sacred town is the winter abode of Lord Badri and it was here Adi Shankaracharya set up one of the four mutts (monastic institutions)”.
“Repairs should be carried out to protect Joshimath and for this, if there is a need to ban the constructions, be that under power projects or road expansion... they should be banned. Whatever needs to be done here should be done after detailed scientific analysis,” Rawat said.
The former chief minister also said that they will also submit a detailed memorandum to chief minister Dhami.
Meanwhile, Congress state chief Karan Mahara demanded that the Joshimath subsidence be declared a national disaster.
“There are differences in the standards for state level and national level disaster,” he said.
“Also, people here feel that the constructions carried by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) have created these problems. Such projects should be immediately stopped. Residents want that drainage network should be developed at the earliest,” he said.
Mahara said subsidence activities are being reported in other areas like Karanprayag also. “As the state is located in Zone 5, the state government should look whether such subsidence activities are a hint of a major earthquake in the state”, he said.
Mahara said Congress will also form a committee comprising some MLAs and geologists, which will study the subsidence and talk to affected people. “The committee will present a technical report”, he said.
Retorting to the criticism by the Congress, state BJP media coordinator Manveer Singh Chauhan said that the party should tell people what its government has done in so many years in the state. “Instead of coming forward to help people and the state government, Congress is indulging in politics over the issue. Our government at the state and central level is actively monitoring the situation in Joshimath and all possible steps are being taken.”
